The Heart of the medicine
by YoungWolf21
Summary: House and Wilson find themselves living together after Wilson's current wife files for divorce. They're complete opposites but some how they work, they complete each other in way and lord knows they've been there for each other. How long will it be until they're feelings for each other surface and can they survive each other?
1. Chapter 1

House groggily opened his eyes as the unmistakable sounds of Wilson in the kitchen echoed through his bedroom. A sharp pain shot through his leg as he shifted his weight, sitting up stiffly under the blankets and sliding to the edge of the bed.

House grabbed the bottle of Vicodin off his bedside table and popped several into his mouth before getting to his feet and slowly limping to the bathroom.

"You up Wilson?" Greg called from behind the closed door.

"Yeah, coffee's on too" he called back, folding the blankets on the lumpy couch that was now his home before stepping back into the kitchen.

"I'm making eggs, do you want me to make you some or are you just going to steal mine while I get dressed like usual?" Wilson commented, pulling the carton from the fridge.

"Stolen eggs are all the sweeter" House replied in his typical wit.

"Figures" Wilson chuckled, whisking the eggs and cream together before pouring them into the hot frying pan.

"Smells good, what's in it?" House asked gruffly, slowly making his way towards the kitchen.

"Red onion, fresh spinach and a bit of blue cheese" James replied, hiding the look of amusement quickly spreading across his face.

"I need to get ready, don't eat this. I mean it House" He warned, trying to sound stiren as he placed the plate on the counter under a lid.

"Would I eat something you worked so hard to make without your express permission?" House asked in mock horror.

"No, no it must be our other invisible roommate I'm thinking about" He replied with a chuckle, rolling his eyes.

" _Yes, yes I would"_ House thought deviously, waiting for Wilson to close the bathroom door before cutting the warm omelet in half.

" _I don't know why Wilson can't keep a wife, his cooking skills alone should be enough to make up for any other shortcomings"_ House thought, stuffing another bite of stolen omelette into his mouth.

House couldn't help but smile as the sound of Wilson's blow dryer filled the room.

" _The man spends more time on his hair than most women"_ he thought, amused by the absurdity of the whole thing.

Wilson was just opening the bathroom door as House slid his plate into the sink and poured himself a large mug of coffee.

"How was my breakfast? Satisfying I hope" Wilson mused as he pulled the lid of his plate and discovered half was missing.

"What? Was I not supposed to eat that?" House retorted, feigning innocence.

" _At least he left me half this time, he's getting better"_ Wilson thought with a smile as he popped a forkful of warm eggs into his mouth.

"By the way, I'm making lasagna for supper so if you want to steal half of that you'll have to be home by 6" He added absentmindedly.

" _That sounds delicious"_ House thought, his mouth already watering.

" _Damn it! I'm taking Cameron out tonight"_ House realized, groaning internally.

"That reminds me, I have a date tonight" He commented while pulling on his blue sneakers.

" _Date?"_ Wilson repeated the word in his mind, it sounded foreign coming from Greg, the man hadn't been near any woman that didn't require payment upfront since Stacy.

"Oh? Who's coming this time? Sapphire, Candy or Cinnamon?" Wilson replied with an anxious chuckle, tossing his tie around the back of his neck.

"Cameron actually" House replied quickly, an amused grin stretching across his face.

"Cameron? That's an oddly tame name for a hooker, she must be new" Wilson mused as he fought with his tie.

"Not a working girl tonight, Cameron, you know the tall brunette that's always at the hospital. I think she's a doctor or something" He clarified, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Cameron as is Dr. Allison Cameron? House she's half your age" Wilson scolded disapprovingly.

"Don't look at me like that, it's _her_ condition for re-joining my team, not mine" He snapped, fishing the pill bottle from his pocket and tossing another tablet in his mouth.

" _Her condition? She forced him into a date?"_ He thought, his mind reeling at the statement.

"Doctor Cameron is forcing you into going out with her?" He breathed, steadying his voice.

"I know that tone, stop judging for ten seconds and listen to me would you?" House growled, his muscles tensing.

"Fine. I'm listening" Wilson snapped back, fidgeting with his tie.

"I didn't agree to the date for Cameron. I did for my team because they need her. Chase is the doctor you do go when you need something questionable done without argument or hesitation, a good doctor but useless to bounce diagnoses off of" He started, carefully keeping his words calm.

"Foreman fights me. Foreman listens to what I say and then questions everything, he won't do a damn thing I say unless he's absolutely certain there's a reasonable chance I'm right. He's my sounding board." House continued, pacing the length of the apartment slowly.

"But Cameron.. Cameron is the heart of the team. Cameron is sympathetic, she's kind to the patients and everyone trusts her so she's who I send in when I need consent forms signed or stupid people to take the medication I've prescribed them" He explained, staring down at his shoes.

"Wilson. I'm not equipped to do things she does for the team, Foreman sure as hell isn't and Chase.. he's pretty but he's about as sympathetic as a stump. Cameron is the only one who genuinely gives a crap about the patients we deal with, she's the human part of my team" House murmured, meeting Wilson's softened gaze.

"House I.. I'll help you pick out a decent outfit after work" Wilson breathed softly before picking up his briefcase and stepping out of the apartment.

Wilson slowly made his way out to his car, his mind racing with every step.

" _He was.. vulnerable, human.. I haven't seen that side of him in years"_ He thought to himself as he fished his keys from his pocket and slid behind the steering wheel.

Soft music flowed from the speakers as he turned the key in the ignition, pulled out of the parking lot and started towards the hospital, barely aware of his surroundings.

The hospital waiting room was already filled with people, both young and old when Greg arrived.

"House!" Cuddy called as he limped towards his office.

"House I know you can hear me, you might as well stop running away" She added her voice high and irritated.

"If you wanted my opinion on your practically non-existent blouse.." He started, his mind alive with sarcasm and wit he saved especially for these encounters.

"Yes, because I base all my fashion decisions on the opinions of a man who's worn the same t-shirt for a decade" She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"You have clinic duty this morning and you know it" Cuddy stated, standing with a hand on her hip.

"I have a patient, asian guy, likes pain as much as you like flashing your breasts to patients, remember him?" House shot back, a crooked grin on his face.

"You have a team that's more than capable of handling him for a few hours. Clinic. Now." She ordered sternly.

House sighed in defeat and began hobbling awkwardly towards the free clinic filled with people who would inevitably bore him to tears, lie to the nurses that were taking their history and force him to swab their inflamed, itchy and probably infected genitals.

Wilson couldn't focus on anything today, his thoughts were still stuck on that genuinely raw moment he had with house that morning.

"Hello Doctor" a frail looking patient softly called as he walked through the cancer ward.

"Hello Wendy, how are we feeling today?" He asked, mustering as much cheer as he could for her.

"I'm okay.. tired" She breathed.

Wendy had been under Wilson's care for almost a year now, they were brought to together by a lump in her breast. It metastasized a four, five months ago and went ramped, moving into her lymph nodes and lungs.

Wilson observed her laboured breaths, the clammy dampness of sweat sticking her gown against her sallow, sunken skin and the faded look in her pale brown eyes, it wouldn't be long before he would present her with stronger meds, the kind that lull you to sleep while you die. Soon he'd be able to stop her suffering but she's a fighter, she isn't ready to let go of her life yet, no matter how painful it might be.

"How is your pain level? I can adjust your medication if you like" He asked softly, focusing on the numbers on her chart.

"No.. I don't want more medication, I'm sleeping too much as it is" She protested, shifting her tiny frame under the blankets.

"Okay, the nurse has my pager number. If you need anything tell her to use it and I'll be here as soon as I can" He smiled warmly, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

"Thank you Doctor.. You always take such good care of me" She murmured, drifting back to sleep.

Wilson's heart ached as he walked out into the waiting area of the hospital, Wendy was always such a positive person, even when the cancer advanced and she knew she was terminal, she still had a smile on her face at the start of every treatment.

Wilson caught a glimpse of Dr. Cameron disappearing through the door to the stairwell, in a rush to get somewhere for House no doubt.

" _I need to talk to her"_ He thought, already moving faster to catch up with her.

"Doctor Cameron" Wilson called down the stairs.

"Wilson? is that you?" She replied, stopping in her tracks.

"I heard about your.. _condition_ for coming back to the team" He started, trying to make his voice even.

"House told you did he?" She sighed, a small smile pulling at her lips.

"Cameron you need to be careful-" he replied softly before getting cut off.

"I'm a big girl, I'm not worried about him hurting me" She groaned, rolling her eyes at his concern.

"I think you misunderstand my concern, I'm not worried about House hurting you" He replied, trying to clarify.

"You're worried about me hurting House? Seriously?" She shot back, confused and irritated.

"You don't know him the way that I do, you weren't here when he had the infarction, you weren't here when Stacy signed the papers that crippled him and then divorced him while he was still in recovery" Wilson paced on the small landing while he spoke.

"What does any of that have to do with us going on a date, that all happened nearly a decade ago-" Cameron protested.

"And he hasn't been with anyone who isn't paid by the hour since! when he married Stacy he was planning on spending his life with her, he didn't want the divorce. He was angry and in agony but he still loved her, even though she gave the surgeon's permission to cripple him. You're half his age and you have no idea how damaged he really is. He's not a hurt child, he's not a project for you to work on. You can't fix him but if you're not careful with him, you can absolutely make him worse. Don't make him worse Cameron." Wilson burst, the words poured out of him like a water through a broken dam. It was draining and emotional but it was the truth.

Cameron stood in dumbfounded silence before finally drawing a deep breath and wrapping her arms around him.

"The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt him, I promise Wilson" She whispered softly while she held him.

"Thank you" he breathed, a tear slipping down his cheek before he quickly wiped it away.

The sound of their beepers going off echoed through the narrow room, breaking the tension of the situation as they fumbled to find them in their pockets.

" _Wendy"_ he thought, quickly pushing the beeper back into his coat and racing back towards the cancer ward.


	2. Chapter 2

House was fidgeting with his over sized tennis ball when Cameron breezed into the office and sat down.

"Look who decided to finally join us" Chased chirped with a chuckle as she blushed.

Cameron wasn't an unattractive woman by any means, her sharp, slender features always reminded him of the fragile porcelain dolls his grandmother kept on her mantle.

Today she was wearing a charcoal coloured business suit, he was sure it had been tailored to hug against her tiny frame as tightly as possible over the pale pink blouse she wore beneath it.

" _Why would she possibly want to date me?"_ He mused, watching as she tucked a renegade strand of hair behind her ear.

"House, did you hear anything we just said?" Foreman growled.

"Tic tacs.. how many did you say you found at his place?" He asked, glancing at his white board.

"I don't know, a couple of cases? The guy likes having minty breath, what does that have to do with anything?" Chase replied, wrinkling his pale face in confusion.

House stood up without a word and limped quickly out of the office and into Harvey's hospital room, his team following close behind him.

"Chase, smell his breath" He ordered, feeling pleased with himself.

"No. He hasn't brushed his teeth since he's been here" Chase protested.

"Don't be baby. What does his breath smell like" He repeated, shoving him towards the bed.

"He smells like old vomit. Happy now?" He groaned, taking a step back.

"And what would that suggest?" He asked, making his way across the room and pulling a large needle from the drawer.

"That he vomited at some point? he's sick house, what's your point?" Foreman pushed.

"The boxes of breath fresheners, the lingering vomit smell, all characteristics of infection. In his case, in his jaw, Fulminating Osteomyelitis" He informed them, sticking the needle into his jaw and pulling back the plunger.

"Ladies and gentleman, we have pus. Book and OR he needs surgery to remove the infected jawbone" House instructed, feeling smug.

Wilson sat quietly by Wendy's bed, listening to her slowing breaths and the monitors beep softly.

"How's she doing?" A nurse asked quietly, handing him a styrofoam cup of coffee.

"She's unconscious, her heart and breathing are slowing down.. it won't be long now" He whispered with a sigh.

"I'm sorry Wilson, are you going to be alright?" She asked, her voice raw.

Terri had only been working in the cancer ward for a few weeks, lovely girl but emotional, she gets attached to her patients and tends to fall apart when they can't fight anymore.

"She's been fighting for a very long time, it's just time for her rest now" He murmured softly.

A few long moments later her heart slowed and then stopped, Wilson reached over and turned off the monitor before checking his watch.

"Time of death, 3:35pm" He noted, touching Terri's shoulder on his way by.

Wilson could hear her sniffle as she disconnected tubes and monitors, trying to hold it together as she leaned over her deceased patient.

"Terri" He said, stopping in his tracks.

"Y-yes Doctor?" She sniffled.

"It's okay to be sad when you lose a patient, I've been an oncologist for.. a very long time and I still get attached, I still lock myself away in my office and cry sometimes but if you're going to make it in the cancer ward you have to find a way to be strong in front of the patient's, you're a good nurse, compassionate which is something these people need. I hope you stick around here but I would also understand if you can't" He assured her calmly before making his way back to his office.

"Wilson, you ready to get out of here?" House asked, barging into the office.

"What do you mean? I thought you had a patient?" He questioned, feeling exhausted.

"Nope. Done with him, he's the general surgeons problem now" He replied in his typical fashion.

"Really? What was wrong with him?" Wilson asked curiously, glad to have a conversation with someone who wasn't dying.

"Fulminating Osteomyelitis, he'll have to find a new way to get off that doesn't involve getting strangled but he'll be fine" He smirked, pleased by his diagnosis.

Wilson loved this side of House, there was nothing in this world more entertaining than that man after solving a puzzle. It was like a drug for him, it was really the only thing that makes him happy and Wilson swore for brief moments in time, forget about the pain that ruled the rest of his life.

"So I'll ask again, are you ready to get out of here? If I don't leave immediately Cuddy will make me go back to the clinic. I don't want to examine anymore genitals today Wilson." He informed him, playfully but still stern.

"I can't, Wendy's estranged sister is coming to claim her body and I need to be here to talk to her" Wilson explained, sighing heavily.

"Fine but I'm going home, I'll see you when you get there" He quipped back before rising unsteadily to his feet and making his way towards the door.

Wilson pulled the pile of unfinished paperwork on his desk towards himself, taking the top few sheets and signing his name where needed before filing them away, anything to pass the time.

"Doctor? Jenny, Wendy's sister is here" His secretary informed him softly.

"You can send her in, thank you" He replied, putting down the pen in his hand as she walked in.

Jenny looked a lot like her sister, she was a little plump but not necessarily overweight, her blonde hair was shaped into a blunt bob and shined under the florescent lights of his office and much like her sister, she had soft brown eyes.

"Hello Mrs. Glock, I'm sorry for your loss. Wendy was a wonderful woman" He started, his voice warm and kind.

"My sister and I weren't close, we hadn't spoken in nearly twenty years.. I didn't even know she was sick" She replied quietly, her perfectly lined eyes red with tears.

"Your sister, she fought this disease with every ounce of strength she had and she did so with a smile and a positive attitude" He told her, guiding her to the couch and sliding a box of tissues in her direction.

"That sounds like Wendy, she was always so strong. No matter how bad things got she kept smiling" She sniffed, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I have her belongings here for you to take home but I need your signature and a little bit of information from you first" Wilson spoke softly now, trying to keep her calm while they went through the paperwork.

Wilson brought out the forms for Jenny to sign, walking her through everything and recommending an excellent grief counselor when they were done.

"I just want to say again how sorry I am for your loss, that's the card of an excellent counselor so I hope you call her okay?" Wilson comforted as she stepped out of his office and disappeared into the hospital.

" _Thank god that's over"_ He thought, taking a deep breath and rubbing at his eyes.

"Excuse me Doctor" Patricia, his secretary squeaked.

"Yes?" He groaned feeling completely exhausted.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I just wanted to let you know your schedule is clear for the rest of the day and ask if it's alright if I leave a little early today" She replied quietly, her cheeks burning.

"Of course you can, go home to your boy Pat, I'll see you monday" He replied sweetly, and waved her away dismissively.

"Thank you Doctor, have a great weekend" She smiled, relief clear in her voice.

"I need to go home" he muttered, stuffing papers into his briefcase in a rush and making his way quickly out of the hospital.

House fumbled through his closet, pawing at the limited clothing he owned trying to decide on an outfit for a date he didn't even want to go on.

" _Why am I nervous? I don't give a rats ass about Cameron"_ He thought, annoyed at himself.

"House, you home?" Wilson called as he walked in the door.

"Yeah, get in here and find me date clothes" He growled, relieved he was finally home.

"Where are you taking her?" He asked, staring at his closet.

"That fancy place you always take your dates, you know with the expensive french wine list" He replied, absentmindedly popping two more pills into his mouth.

"Ah, okay well then I'm lending you something of mine. Hold on a minute" He answered before stepping back out into the living room for a moment.

"I refuse to wear anything silk or frilly Wilson!" House called from the corner of his bed.

"Damn, and here I had the perfect pink, silk, frilly shirt for you to borrow" Wilson teased, returning with a periwinkle blue shirt and matching tie in his hand.

"Put these on, wear the black sneakers and a sports coat and you just might be passable" He ordered, tossing the shirt and tie in his direction.

House smirked, he loved when Wilson was demanding, it was a side of him you rarely ever saw under his usual big-soft-teddy bear facade.

"When is she expecting you?" Wilson asked from the kitchen while he checked the lasagna in the oven.

"About ten minutes ago actually, I should really go" He laughed from the bedroom.

Wilson felt his heart sink in his chest as House limped out the door for the night.

It was hours later when Wilson was jolted awake by the sound of House stumbling back into the apartment, booze heavy on his breath.

"House, how drunk are you right now?" He asked groggily.

"Well.. That depends.. Is the apartment actually spinning?" House asked, chuckling.

"Okay, what happened?" He replied, sitting up and making room for House on the couch.

"What do you think? I'm.. I'm an ass. She left, I went next door and had a drink.. or ten" He responded, his voice thick with emotion even though he tried to hide it.

"Cameron left?" He repeated, trying to get more information.

"Yup. I told her that I knew she was only interested cuz she thinks I'm damaged and she thinks she can fix me.. like a toy or a broken plate" He groaned bitterly.

"And she, what? didn't agree?" Wilson pushed.

"Wilson.. I know you talked to her.. She is lousy with secrets Cameron" He slurred slightly, looking straight into his eyes.

Wilson stared back at him dumbfounded, unsure of what he was seeing in his deep blue eyes.

"Thank you for that.. It's nice to.. to be cared about" he squeaked, looking away for a moment.

"You know I care about you House, we've been through far too much together for me not to" He smiled, hugging him reassuringly in an attempt to keep him from getting weepy.

House looked up wordlessly and leaned in, planting a single kiss softly on his lips.

"H-house you're drunk.. Let me put you to bed before you do something we both regret" he stammered his, getting quickly to his feet and guiding Greg to his bedroom.

"Good night Greg" He whispered as he helped House out of his jeans and into his soft bed.


	3. Chapter 3

House shifted with a groan his head throbbing violently as he moved, almost drowning out the pain of his ruined leg that was currently pressed into the mattress.

" _What happened last night?"_ He wondered, his memory a patchwork of foggy images.

It wasn't until he sat up and pushed the blankets away that House realized he was mostly naked, wearing nothing but briefs and one sock.

" _When.. when did I do this? or did someone else do this for me?"_ He mused, desperately trying to recall what happened after he stumbled into the apartment.

House popped a few Vicodin into his mouth and pulled on a pair of loose fitting fleece pants while he looked around the room for his missing cane.

"Wilson" He gasped as one very particular memory seeped back into his consciousness.

House made his way quickly to the livingroom where Wilson slept soundly on the couch and stared as parts of the night before came into sharper focus.

" _I kissed him.. I kissed Wilson last night"_ He thought, realization bearing down on his throbbing head as he watched the rise and fall of the sleeping man's chest.

In a lot of ways House always knew he had _some_ feelings for Wilson but he never in a million years thought he'd ever act on them, the man is his best friend.

Wilson saw him fall completely apart after the infarction ruined his leg and Stacy ruined the rest of his life with the divorce, he saw him cry! oh how to he sobbed while they adjusted his medication for weeks on end trying to find the right combination to bring him some level of relief. Hell he helped him to the bathroom more than once while he was still in the hospital and too proud to use the walker but too weak to make it there on his own.

" _Maybe it was a dream and none of it even happened"_ He thought anxiously as he limped to the bathroom to be sick.

"House? are you okay?" Wilson asked from the other side of the door after hearing him retch from the couch.

"Do I sound okay to you?" He growled, his stomach flipping again.

Wilson chuckled at his tone knowing how hungover he probably was at that moment.

"Coffee will be ready when you're done" He replied, walking into the kitchen.

"Could you quiet down those eggs? my head is killing me" House moaned, plopping down on the couch.

"Here, drink this" Wilson smiled, pushing the warm mug of liquid into his hand.

House listened to Wilson working in the kitchen while he sipped his black coffee and wondered if he was going to bring up what happened the night before.

"Eggs and plain toast" He told him softly, handing him the plate and sitting down beside him.

"About last night.." House started quietly.

Wilson tensed at the words, unsure of how much House actually remembered.

"I've put you to bed before, it's not a big deal" Wilson offered quickly.

"No.. it's not that.. Did I.. Did we?" He stammered, his heart thundering in his chest as he fought to find the words.

" _He remembers"_ He realized anxiously.

"Kiss? is that the word you're searching for?" Wilson asked softly.

"We.. we did kiss didn't we?" House asked quietly.

Wilson watched as House's expression softened, his deep blue eyes searching for the answer he had yet to be given.

A moment later Wilson leaned in and pressed his lips against his, letting out a small gasp when House melted into his touch.

House shifted closer to Wilson, threading his fingers into his hair and pushing him into the back of the couch while his tongue grazed his lips, asking for unspoken permission.

"Greg.." He moaned, his body aching under his rough hands as he dug his fingertips into his back.

"Wilson I-" he winced, instinctively grabbing his leg as a sharp pain ripped through him.

"Your leg.. I'm sorry did I hurt you?" Wilson questioned, carefully moving away from him.

"No, you didn't hurt me.. I'm not even sure you could" He sighed, helplessly groping at the hole in his leg.

"I can help you" Wilson offered, his gaze softening.

House watched as Wilson pulled the fleece pants to his ankles, exposing the gaping hole in his thigh and gently began massaging it.

"That.. doesn't bother you?" House breathed.

"What do you mean?" Wilson questioned, continuing to work on what was left of his muscle.

"The hole where my thigh muscle used to be.. it's so.. ugly.." House cringed as he said the word.

"Nothing about you is ugly Greg, nothing" He murmured softly.

Wilson carefully pressed his lips against the tip of the jagged scar and continued to cover every inch of it in gentle kisses as House shook under his touch.

After a few long moments, Wilson moved his fingers up Greg's thigh, watching his expression as he dragged his fingers over his already erect member, a smile stretching across his face when a small gasp hissed through his lips.

"Wilson you-" He breathed, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Shh just relax, I want you to enjoy this" Wilson whispered seductively.

House was happy to comply as Wilson ran his hand over him for a second time and pulled at the waist of his briefs.

Wilson effortlessly slid House's briefs down his legs and tossed them aside before engulfing his erection in his hands and moving them slowly up and down as he squirmed under his touch.

House moaned, deep in his throat as Wilson expertly moved his hands along his shaft, knowing exactly how much pressure to use and where to touch.

Wilson's whole body trembled as House moaned under his careful touch, reacting to every little movement.

"Oh.. Oh God.. Wil.. Wilson" He moaned loudly, threading his fingers into his satiny hair.

"Wilson.. OH.. I'm going to.." He gasped, giving him the chance to move away.

Wilson continued to stroking until House exploded, his entire body shaking as he sank into the couch in blissful exhaustion.

"That was.. amazing" House panted, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"You're welcome" He smiled, slumping down beside him.

Wilson noted that House hadn't reached for his leg, or his pills since he started. For the moment, no matter how brief it might be, he took away his pain.


	4. Chapter 4

House shifted slowly on the couch, trying to avoid waking Wilson who was sleeping peacefully on his chest.

" _What am I doing?"_ he thought almost angrily as he ran his fingers through Wilson's soft hair.

" _This isn't fair to Wilson.. I'm not good enough for him by a long shot"_ he mentally criticised himself.

House had always admired the way Wilson could endlessly put the needs of others above his own, the late nights he spent holding the hands of dying patients who didn't have family members to be there at the end, hours spent voluntarily in the children's ward at the hospital when a flu epidemic hit and they were short staffed for a week.

The man was a teddy bear with a medical licence.

House couldn't help but smile as Wilson shifted in his sleep and nuzzled his head deeper against him, a soft moan escaping his lips.

" _He deserves better than me, he deserves someone whole, not a bitter, middle-aged cripple like me"_ he sighed, slumping into the couch.

"House?" Wilson whispered softly.

"Yes?" House replied glancing down at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, stiffly sitting up.

"Yeah.. I'm just in pain, nothing a few Vicodin won't fix" he assured him, reaching for the pill bottle on the coffee table in front of them.

Wilson knew he was lying, there was a far away look in those sad, blue eyes that concerned him.

"How.. How do feel?" Wilson asked, looking at him with curious eyes.

"I'm in pain, I thought we just covered this" House groaned, tossing a few pills into his mouth.

"No.. I mean about what happened between us" He clarified.

"Oh" Was all House could manage as a response.

House really wasn't sure what he was feeling at that moment.

" _That wasn't exactly the response I was hoping for.. but then this is House"_ He thought calmly before making his way to the kitchen.

House limped to his bedroom and fished his cell phone from the pocket of the pants he wore the day before, flipping it open he hit the second speed dial button and waited impatiently for someone to answer.

"House's office" The voice on the line quipped.

"Chase, call me back in three minutes with a believable reason I'm needed at the hospital" House instructed before snapping the phone closed again.

Wilson was still working on something in the kitchen, his back turned to the living room when House slumped back down on the couch, impatiently waiting for the phone to ring.

"Are you hungry? I'm making pork chops" Wilson asked, his eyes never leaving the onion he was expertly dicing.

"Pork chops sound good" He replied gruffly, knowing he wouldn't be here to enjoy them.

A moment later Mmm Bop by Hanson sang from the bedroom, echoing cheerfully through the apartment.

"I'll get it" Wilson offered, making his way down the hall and reappearing a moment later with the phone to his ear.

"Yeah, he's right here hang on" Wilson replied before handing the device to House.

"Hello?" House chirpped.

"House, this is a very believable reason to come into the hospital" Chase nearly giggled.

"Really? Vomiting blood and tachycardic? I'll be right there" He asked as convincingly as he could.

"Sure and that unicorn you ordered is waiting in your office" Chase added.

"Okay, get the team together and I'll be right there" House groaned, irritated and snapped the phone close.

"Going into work?" Wilson asked with a sigh.

"Yeah.. Teenager vomiting blood" House replied, pulling his sneakers and leather jacket on.

"See you.. when the case is over" Wilson sighed again, unable to hide the disappointment.

" _You'll thank me for this one day.. I promise"_ House thought as he ducked out the door.

"Next time I ask you for an excuse, how about you actually make one up before you call back!" House growled as he stepped into the glass office.

"Alright. I apologize, what's going on?" Chase replied, the colour draining from his already pale face.

" _Damn, too harsh. This isn't his fault"_ House scolded himself.

"Oh don't wet your pants over there, I'm not going to punish you for having a sense of humor" House groaned, rolling his eyes at the nervous Aussie.

Chase shifted in his chair, glancing down at this phone for a moment while the colour returned to his cheeks.

"Is there something going on we should about?" Cameron asked, breaking the silence.

"No. I just needed to get away from Wil- Someone.." He replied feeling exhausted.

Cameron arched an eyebrow at his tone, curious about what it meant but knowing better than to push him.

"Being as there isn't actually a dying teenager, I'm going down stairs. Don't look for me." House instructed before limping out of the room and into the nearby elevator.

" _Nothing like a good soap opera to clear your mind"_ He thought happily, pulling a chip from the bag on the coma patient's stomach.

"I heard you were here" Cuddy commented as she walked into the room.

"And I heard your ass had finally stopped growing, one of us has been seriously misinformed" He replied with his usual wit, his eyes glued to the small TV.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at his comment and continued to walk across the room.

"House, if you're in the hospital you might as well actually do something. You still owe me clinic hours" She reminded him.

"I'm not technically working right now, it's my day off remember?" He replied popping another potato chip into his mouth.

"It's your day off and you're using the television of a coma patient to watch a soap opera. Why aren't you at home?" Cuddy asked suddenly curious.

"Because a close source told me you were wearing something work appropriate and I just had to see for myself" House replied looking her up and down before continuing.

"But again, grossly misinformed" he added before turning his attention back to the television.

"House, I'm being serious but if you're not willing to answer me then you can either go home or to the clinic. Your choice" She replied calmly, pulling the bag of chips off the coma patient and walking away.

" _I can't go home yet, Wilson is going to want to talk"_ House groaned internally realizing what that meant.

"Clinic duty" he sighed, limping toward the elevator.

Wilson picked up the phone and dialed the number for Cuddy's office, if there really is a teenager puking blood House may need consult.

"Hello?" Cuddy answered cooly.

"Hi Lisa, it's Wilson" He replied quickly, hoping it might improve her mood.

"What can I do for you Wilson?" She asked, staring at her day planner.

"House was called in earlier, something about a sick kid and I was checking in to see if you needed my services" He answered.

"Sick kid? House hasn't had a case in over a week" She replied sharply, clearly irritated by that fact.

"Oh" was all he could manage at that point as shock set in.

"What's going on Wilson?" Cuddy asked softly, starting to grow concerned.

"Nothing, really" Wilson replied, hanging up the phone.

"I can't believe he lied to me!" Wilson growled into the empty apartment.

"That's not true, House lies about everything, how is this even a surprise?" He questioned, pacing the length of the living room.

" _Does he regret this morning?"_ Wilson wondered, stopping dead in his tracks at the thought.

" _We have to talk about this, he can't just disappear every time he gets a little uncomfortable"_ He thought, slipping on his brown dress shoes and running his hands through his hair in a vain attempt to smooth it out.

House plucked another crimson file from the nurses station and glanced at the chart inside;

Robert Gail, gastrointestinal problems.

" _Who was the idiot who filled this out?"_ He thought with a groan as he walked into the exam room.

"Hello Robert, I'm doctor House" He introduced himself.

"Um, hi" He replied awkwardly.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked exhaustedly.

Based on the pacing, the refusal to sit down and the nervous sweat pouring down his youthful face House was already pretty sure he knew what he was going to say.

"Well you see.." he started, struggling to get the words out.

"How big is it and how long has it been up there?" House asked, looking him right in the face.

"H-how did you?" He stammered.

"I'm the one with clip board, that means I ask the questions" House replied, holding it up for him to see.

"Um it's a.. it's a.." He continued to struggle for words.

House groaned at the chart while he impatiently waited for the dim witted teenager to get the words out.

"Don't worry, we'll write down you fell on it in the chart" He half taunted.

"House are you in there?" Wilson asked from the other side of the door.

"I'm with a patient" He replied simply, popping a few more pills into his mouth much to the shock of the teenager with the foreign object in his rectum.

"Sure, if you say so" He replied opening the door and stepping inside.

"Oh, you really are with a patient.. I apologize" He gasped.

"That's okay, my friend here was getting ready to tell me what he "fell on" recently" House reported, staring at the teenager again.

"It's a cucumber okay. It broke.." The kid finally blurted, his face turning ten different shades of red in embarrassment.

"Ah! and we finally have an answer!" House replied in mock excitement.

"If you don't mind I have to fish the produce out of this young man" House informed Wilson who was still standing at the door.

"Y-yeah i'll um.. Wait in your office" He replied sheepishly and let himself out of the room.

" _I can't believe I would rather put my hand up a teenager than deal with Wilson, what is wrong with me?"_ He questioned as he dealt with Robert's problem.

"There you go, good as new" House reported pulling the gloves off and tossing them in the trash.

"Next time you "fall on" something, make sure you have a decent grip on it" He instructed bluntly as he walked out of the room.

House tossed the file on the other pile and slowly made his way towards his office, dreading the conversation he was going to have with Wilson when he got there.

"How's the kid?" Wilson asked awkwardly.

"He's fine" House replied, plopping down on his office chair.

"House.. we need to talk about what happened" He started slowly.

House felt lost for words as he looked into Wilson's warm, brown eyes and desperately wished he knew what to say.

"House?" A familiar voice echoed through the office.

"Stacy" House breathed as he turned slowly in his chair and made eye contact with the woman that destroyed his life.


End file.
